What is contact and why have it? How much contact do you need? Is contact and head set the same thing?

Discover why contact is essential for communication between the rider and the naturally gaited horse. Find out how bit acceptance leads to smooth gait. 

Here’s my story…

Contact is a Partnership between the Rider and the Gaited Horse

By Jennifer Klitzke

There are many ways to ride a naturally gaited horse. Some trail ride one handed on a long floppy rein. Others show rail class and ride their gaited horses two handed with contact using a curb bit. Still others, like me, ride dressage with their naturally gaited horse using a snaffle bit with even contact. I’ll explain why I choose the latter, and how dressage benefits my naturally gaited horses to produce relaxation, balance and quality smooth gaits on cue.

Even within dressage, there are different training methods. I have studied two methods since 1988. I began with the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) pyramid of training for competition. Then in 2014 I began studying Ecole de Legerete (School of Lightness) developed from Classical French Dressage by Philippe Karl. Both dressage models begin training with a snaffle bit and teach the horse contact.

My first 24 years of study has been with the USDF pyramid of training which describes rhythm, suppleness, contact, impulsion, straightness and collection.

A few years ago, the USDF changed “connection” to “contact” and “relaxation” to “suppleness.”

Since 2014 my dressage study has been focused on learning the Legerete dressage model. This model identifies respect to the horse as the foundation. Then relaxation (lightness to the hand), balance (lightness to the seat), impulsion (lightness to the leg). Followed by Legerete (lightness), flexibility (suppleness), mobility (straightness and rhythm) and collection (cadence).

Contact is not mentioned in the Legerete model, yet contact is required in order to produce relaxation of the lower jaw, mouth and poll; acceptance of the bit; teaching the horse balance through rein aids to help the horse find chest and shoulder posture to carry its own head and neck and not lean on the bit; and to direct the horse to flexibility and straightness.

Connection (which utilizes the orchestration of rein, leg, seat and weight aids) and contact are essential whether you choose the USDF or Legerete training model. Neither focus on headset per se. (However, there are do’s and don’ts.) Position of the head and neck are outcomes of the contact, connection, and training level of the horse.

What is Contact?

Contact is a two-way dialogue between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth. The rider teaches the horse how to accept and follow a light snaffle bit contact and the rider learns to follow the natural head and neck motion of the horse.

There are moments of gentle action. These moments are applied consistently and at the right moment to communicate clarity to the horse. Then there are moments of stillness and quiet of the aids when the horse has responded to the action of the aids.

Contact isn’t pulling back on the reins. Instead, the reins are shortened to make a meaningful light feel of the horse’s mouth with a gentle snaffle bit. The contact doesn’t need to be firm⚊just light enough to be effective. The contact can be as light as the weight of the reins.

Through consistent dressage training, the rider teaches the horse how to accept and follow a snaffle bit contact. While at the same time, the rider learns to follow the horse’s natural head and neck motion with an even and steady feel of both reins to maintain contact with the snaffle bit.

In dressage, the rider follows the natural head and neck motion of the horse with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands. This is true whether the horse is naturally gaited or non-gaited.

For the non-gaited horse, the rider follows the natural head and neck motion at the walk and canter. For the naturally gaited horse, the rider follows the natural head and neck motion at the walk, canter, and smooth gaits, like the flat walk and fox trot. It is important that the rider remains relaxed in their following contact with their arms, shoulders and hands.

The bit acceptance by the horse and the rider’s following the horse’s natural head and neck motion becomes a two-way dialogue of contact.

Benefits of Contact

When a horse accepts and trust the rider’s hands, the horse is able to relax its mouth, tongue, lower jaw, and poll. This relaxation is especially important for the naturally gaited horse.

Why? When gaited horses are tense and resistant in the mouth, they are more likely to be tense in the shoulders and back. This leads to rough and jarring gaits like step pacing, hard pacing and hard trot.

Relaxation leads to the smooth gaits the horse was destined for and the smooth gaits we enjoy riding.

A relaxed contact leads to smooth gaits

For quality smooth gaits, it is important that we teach our naturally gaited horses how accept the bit, trust our hands, and relax their lower jaw. As riders, we need to ride with soft hands and follow the horse’s natural head motion. We also need to use a comfortable bit that doesn’t pinch within the mouth and wide enough not to pinch the corners of the mouth.

Learning effective contact as a rider is the first step. Then we need to teach our naturally gaited horse how to accept the bit and follow our rein aids. We need to follow their natural head and neck motion. All of this develops a two-way dialog. Then when the horse becomes tense, we can help them relax their lower jaw and poll. We can help them relax by lightly massaging the inside rein until they soften. Then we need to immediately stop massaging the rein and return both hands to a neutral position with a light following contact.

Stopping the cue as the horse responds to our cue is just as important as the timing of the initial cue. Consistency in communication with our horse is the key.

How to teach contact to the gaited horse

In-hand exercises are a great way to teach contact. In hand exercises help our horses learn how to accept and follow contact. They also learn how to develop a balanced posture without leaning on our hands. When a horse leans on the bit, it is slouching. The horse collapses its chest and shoulders and gets heavy on the forehand.

The earlier a two-way dialogue is taught the easier it will be for the horse and rider. However, horses that have had a harsh bit experience may take longer to trust a rider’s hands. Yet, with patience, understanding, and gentle consistency, horses can regain trust.

Teaching bit acceptance and following contact

Working in hand is the best place to start teaching our horses to accept contact with the bit and follow our hands. Working in hand can also teach our horses a posture of balance instead of leaning on the bit.

Watch this video: Teaching contact in-hand

Any time the horse leans on the bit, the rider standing in front of the horse immediately responds not with force, but with gentle upward nudges towards the ears with both snaffle rings, to say, “No leaning on the bit.” These upward nudges encourage the horse to lift its head and neck, “high enough to be light,” as one of my coaches says. It reminds the horse to find a posture of balance. It is just as important that the rider immediately stops the upward nudges as soon as the horse is light and tasting the bit.

If the horse isn’t tasting the bit, the rider, while still facing the horse, can rotate the bit slightly and slowing to gently turn the horse’s head so the ears point toward the 11 o’clock position and then gently to the 1 o’clock position. This can help the horse begin to relax the jaw and tongue and taste the bit. By making communication clear to the horse, the rider helps the horse learn relaxation with the bit and find its own balance without leaning on the hands of the rider.

After learning contact in hand, then the rider teaches the horse the same exercises from the saddle at a halt. Then the rider can progress to a slow walk.

Watch video: Teaching contact in saddle

These are common Legerete exercises. I have been fortunate to learn from three French Dressage instructors who have studied Legerete with Master Instructors. Book and DVD study is helpful, but nothing beats one-on-one coaching for timely personalized instruction.

Watch video: Flechi droit

Through this work in hand, flexions in saddle at a halt and slow walk, us riders can learn meaningful contact with our horse’s mouth using both reins with even and steady contact through the snaffle bit. The rein aids converse with our horse to position its head and neck, as well as to soften and relax the jaw, slow and rebalance. All of these preparatory exercises lead us to effective two-way communication, quality smooth gaits, as well as a partnership of harmony with our naturally gaited horses.

So what happens when the horse leans on the bit while you are riding?

Here’s my story…

Bit resistance or imbalance?

Some horses accept contact better than others. My naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana, accepts and follows contact well at a halt and walk. Yet, sometimes she leans on the bit and gets heavy in my hands at the running walk and canter.

For Makana, this heaviness in my hands isn’t a bit-acceptance problem. It is a symptom of too much weight on her shoulders⚊slouching on the chest. To correct, I need to remind her with upward nudges, so she repositions her chest posture and rebalances. It is easier to rebalance at a halt or slow walk. The faster she travels out of balance, the more challenging it is to rebalance with the upward nudges. This is where additional exercises come in to play.

I also reposition her balance from one shoulder to the other with counter bend neck rein exercises. Other exercises such as shoulder in, haunches in, shoulder out and renver help her shift more weight bearing to the hindquarters.

Once Makana rebalances her posture, she becomes lighter to my hand since her weight is carried more evenly over all four legs. In this balanced posture, the quality of her flat walk improves.

Bit Acceptance vs Bit Avoidance

One of the goals of contact is to help the horse develop bit acceptance. This is when the horse seeks contact with the bit while following the rider’s rein requests. The horse begins to trust the rider’s hands because the rein aids are gentle, clear, and consistent and cease once the horse has responded to the cue.

Riding with a light meaningful even contact is a dialogue with the horse. There are moments of quiet hands because the horse is responding to the rider’s request. Then there are moments of using the hand or hands to help the horse soften the jaw, flex the poll, flex to one side or the other, open the poll and extend the neck forward, or nudge the hands upward when the horse leans on the bit to ask the horse to carry its own head and neck.

Bit avoidance is what you don’t want. This self-protective measure happens when the horse doesn’t trust the rider’s hands. Bit avoidance can occur when the horse feels pain in its mouth, distrusts the hands of a rider, or has mental scars from past experiences.

Horses learn bit avoidance when:

• Being ridden in a harsh or poorly fitting bit
• Being ridden with low, fixed hands
• Being ridden with unclear or inconsistent rein aids
• Being ridden with sharp, unfloated teeth
• Being ridden with loose reins and suddenly surprises the horse with firm contact
• Being ridden with too much contact or when the rider finds their balance holding onto the horse’s mouth through the reins

Horses have great memories, and mental scars are not easy to overcome. It will take even more time, patience, consistency and gentleness to earn the horse’s trust with your hands over time.

Here’s my story…

Avoiding contact: Finding a key to unlock an unknown past

My naturally gaited fox trotting mare, Lady, is a marvelous trail horse who loves to be ridden on a long floppy rein. Only, leaving it up to her, she travels heavily on the shoulders where she is prone to tripping. This unbalanced state isn’t safe, and it isn’t the balance we seek in dressage.

Adding to this is her unknown history. Some horses, like Lady, come into our lives with mental scars. Lady is a grade horse from a sale barn. In her case, she was 7-12 years old when she arrived. Difficult to catch. Nose in the air. Hard to bridle. Once bridled, Lady was bit resistant. She would snatch the bit out of your hands and run off in a hard hollow trot.

Lady’s teeth have been checked and floated regularly. She has learned the same in-hand exercises my naturally gaited Tennessee Walking Horse knows. I have tried numerous bits, even a bitless bridle. I was about to give up until I tried one more bit: a sweet copper, hollow-mouthed, loose-ring snaffle with a lozenge.

Lady immediately accepted a light contact with this bit. Is it the flavor? Is it the thickness? Is it the lozenge? Is it the combination. It didn’t matter. I was thrilled I finally found a bit she liked where she and I could begin a two-way dialogue of contact.

Lady accepts the bit much better, and I follow her natural head and neck motion with relaxed shoulders, arms and hands. Her fox trot is regular, smooth, relaxed, and has steady rhythm with balance and more tempo without breaking into a trot. She is now learning to collect more in her fox trot for the full range of motion.

Months have passed. Then I re-introduced the Fulmer snaffle. Lady accepted it just as she had the hollow-mouthed snaffle.

Adding to this, we began counter bend exercises on a serpentine, on a square, on a circle, and on a figure eight. These shoulder balancing exercises have been making an ENORMOUS difference in Lady’s mobility, balance and lightness.

Now we have added shoulder in and haunches in to our rides with lots of neck extensions as a reward.

Then we began shoulder in on a circle at a slow walk to encourage her to engage more. The engagement helps to tip her pelvis downward, bend her hock joints, activate her abdominal muscles to lift her back to a rounder position, lift her chest and shoulders so that the energy from behind travels through her back, neck and to the bit.

The result of contact and connection with Lady is a smooth, relaxed natural fox trot with even strides, rhythm, relaxation, and balance for longer periods of time.

According to the USDF model, as the horse progresses in its dressage training (third level and higher), a curb bit may be added along with the snaffle bit (bradoon). The rider uses two reins in each hand, yet continues to ride with contact using the snaffle bit predominately and the curb bit secondary to find tune the horse.

Lady and I may never reach third-level dressage, but that’s okay. We have found a key to unlock the mystery of contact and connection using a mild snaffle bit.

Finding the right bit can make a difference for the naturally gaited horse to promote bit acceptance. This can lead to relaxation of the mouth and jaw that relaxes the back for natural smooth gaits.

Why have contact?

I rode at a few clinics with Susan Norman who is a French dressage instructor. She was fortunate to have been a three-year student of Philippe Karl and a 15-year student of the late Jean Claude Racinet.

During my lessons, Susan would say:

“There is no intimacy
with a long floppy rein.”

Neither the USDF or Legerete dressage models train horses into self carriage by riding on a long floppy rein. That doesn’t mean in dressage that horses are never ridden on a loose rein. What this means is the release to a loose rein has a purpose that the horse understands. Horses need to be educated in a partnership of contact where the rider releases the horse to a loose rein for moments at a time when the horse is in a position of balance and relaxation and in the desired frame chosen by the rider (not the horse). The release is a reward.

Loose reins need a consistent place and purpose in the horse’s training to be effective.

If the reins are loose without a purpose, it leaves the horse wondering what the rider wants. Naturally the horse makes decisions of its own about position, direction, tempo, gait, eating grass, wondering off, or heading back to its buddies. Then the reins are quickly snapped up with abrupt contact. The horse is punished in the mouth and doesn’t know why. This leads to bit avoidance.

In addition, it is true that many naturally gaited horses travel smooth on a long floppy rein. Lady is one of them. However, her natural way of going is hollow, disengaged and on the shoulders as seen below.

While Lady’s gait is smooth while traveling with her nose to the ground, it isn’t good for her soundness long term, nor is it a two-way dialogue with me. It’s kind of like being at the dinner table with family and everyone is on their cell phone. She’s there, yet not present. Plus, she is prone to tripping.

Contact is a partnership between horse and rider

A better approach is to first establish a partnership of contact with Lady through mental and physical relaxation, engagement, and establishing chest posture and balance. This will help Lady trip less.

Then developing flexibility and strength to help Lady become ambidextrous for quality smooth gaits and the full range of motion. This will help Lady maintain soundness longer for more years of riding.

Then I add impulsion (forwardness without rushing) and release Lady to a loose rein as long as she is in balance. I will retake the contact and restore the balance if she begins to fall on the shoulders and forehand. I offer releases to a long rein with contact or loose rein in self carriage during each riding session.

Contact to Connection: Importance of Separating Stop and Go Aids

The effective use and timing of aids rein, leg, seat and weight aids produce connection with the horse to communicate position, tempo, gait, direction, engagement and lateral movements while maintaining relaxation and balance. This partnership of contact and connection lead to harmony where each ride is more like a dance.

The rein aids have a purpose to help the horse relax the tongue, lower jaw, flex the poll, bend the neck side to side, position the neck up and down, direct the shoulders, help the horse be balanced, and closed fingers communicate halt.

The seat, leg and weight aids also have a purpose to direct tempo, forwardness, engagement, and direction. The goal is to teach the horse to responding to the lightest aid. Then the rider needs to stop cueing once the horse responds. This takes consistent training on the rider’s part to achieve.

After studying the USDF and Legerete methods. I find the French dressage more effective in that the stopping aids of the rein are not used at the exact same time as going forward aids of the leg and seat. Combining the legs and driving seat aids with the hand aids is like driving a car with one foot on the brake and the other foot on the gas at the same time. I have found that combining the stop and go aids to be unproductive and confusing to the horse, and actually makes it difficult to teach lightness.

Here’s my story…

Why won’t my horse go?

I applied the USDF model for the first five years of training my naturally gaited Tennessee walking horse, Makana. My understanding of this model was to drive my horse forward with my legs and seat into my hands for contact and connection.

Adding to this, many TWH rail class riders told me to ride with low fixed hands and minimize the movement of my riding position to show how smooth my horse is.

Makana lacked the desire to go forward. I thought I had a lazy horse, so I used more and more leg to squeeze her forward. That didn’t seem to help, so I tapped her with a dressage whip while I clucked and squeezed her forward. Then Makana became anxious, and I didn’t know why.

It wasn’t until I began studying French dressage that I realized what was going on. When I began separating my hand aids for stopping from my leg and seat aids for going, I realized I had created Makana’s lack-of-forwardness problem. She was doing exactly what I had been cueing her to do: go forward into my hand and stop. Then she began to feel claustrophobic as a result of being driven forward into a restraining hand.

In addition, French dressage taught me that riding with low fixed hands presses the bit into the tongue and causes pain. Rather, I learned that by communicating with the corners of the horse’s lips is gentle, so I cue with raised hands and ride with relaxed following shoulders, arms and hands. I also learned the difference between driving with the seat and following the natural motion of the horse’s belly sway. The latter actually produces more forwardness than a driving seat because a driving seat is irritating to the horse.

By separating the “stop” from “go” aids, Makana’s lack of forwardness has disappeared. My need to continually use my leg and whip disappeared. She has also become less anxious and spooky ask a result of not being restrained by fixed low hands and a rigid body to make her look smooth.

Watch video: Naturally Gaited Tennessee Walking Horse Gaits

While applying dressage with my naturally gaited horses, contact and connection have led to enormous changes in posture balance, relaxation, engagement, and rhythm to produce quality smooth gaits and full range of motion.

Enjoy the journey to smoother gaits, naturally and humanely with dressage!

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